Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/34417
FORMING A KM STRATEGY FOR YOUR FIRM • Be Bold: Don’t be afraid to set high aspirations in your KM Vision. “Baby steps” are for implementation, not for vision. Bold aspirations and innovation will give you the strategic edge. KEEP YOUR KM STRATEGY CURRENT Your KM Strategy should be a living document that evolves with the firm. We revisit ours annually as part of the budget planning process. The strategy informs our KM project and budget discussions with practice groups and business departments and ensures that all projects align with the strategic plan. Sometimes these discussions reveal changes in business direction that tell us that we need to revise the strategic plan to keep it relevant. We also must be alert to dramatic shifts in the firm’s business environment, such as a leadership change, a major change in one of our markets, a significant merger or divestiture, or external events such as the Great Recession. When such a change happens, we use the “Field of Dreams” model to revisit our KM strategy, reassess our priorities and realign our efforts so that we can continue to deliver value. While it takes significant effort to implement strategic planning, and commitment to complete the process, the benefits are enormous. Our strategy has become the framework and inspiration for communications with our firm’s leadership, with individual lawyers, with business support colleagues, and with our staff. It provides us the foundation to say “no,” thoughtfully and convincingly, to requests that threaten to take us off course and “yes” to those that will advance the firm’s agenda. ILTA One of ILTA’s most valued resources is our volunteer authors and we are grateful to them for sharing the information and experience they’ve acquired. iltanet.org/write www.iltanet.org Knowledge Management 27